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Five-run seventh inning dooms Yankees in 12-5 loss to Blue Jays

The Yankees fell to the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 12-5 on Tuesday afternoon, and have now dropped three of their last four games and have just six wins in their last 18 games.

New York fell to 48-37 on the year. Toronto improved to 47-38 with back-to-back wins to start the four-game series.

Here are the key takeaways....

-A pivotal moment came in the bottom of the seventh, as Luke Weaver appeared to strike out pinch-hitter Addison Barger looking on a check swing in a 4-4 game. However, the Blue Jays challenged that J.C. Escarra committed catcher's interference, and that turned out to be the case, loading the bases with one out. Next up, Ernie Clement atoned for an earlier error by bouncing a single just off of Anthony Volpe's glove, giving Toronto a 5-4 lead.

Next up, George Springer launched a grand slam to left-center, and his second homer of the game blew things wide open at 9-4. While two of the runs were charged to Mark Leiter Jr., Weaver came into the game with the score tied and exited with the Yankees trailing by five runs.

Springer would come through with another big hit, a two-run single in the eighth, as the game turned into a laugher.

-MaxFriedhas been the stopper for the Yankees all season, coming into the game with a 0.93 ERA in 10 starts following a Yankees loss this season. He lived up to that billing early, retiring eight straight hitters after a Springer first-inning walk.

The first hit -- and run -- allowed by Fried came on a Springer home run in the bottom of the fourth, and that turned out to be the start of a disastrous inning for Fried, who later allowed a three-run homer to Andres Gimenez, just over the wall in center field.

Fried went 6.0 innings, and while he only allowed three hits, two of them were homers, as he allowed four earned runs while striking out two and walking two.

-The Yankees took advantage of an early opportunity against Kevin Gausman. After the right-hander loaded the bases by allowing a single and a pair of walks, Jasson Dominguez delivered with a single up the middle, scoring a pair of runs and giving the Yankees an early 2-0 lead. Dominguez added an RBI groundout in the top of the ninth to finish 1-for-5 with three RBI.

-The Bombers had a chance to add on in the fourth, as a Paul Goldschmidt double (his second hit of the afternoon) put runners at second and third with two outs. This time, though, Gausman was able to get out of the jam, as Cody Bellinger flew out to deep right-center to end the threat.

Again, in the fifth, the Yankees had traffic on the bases, but couldn't find a way to push any runs across. Gausman's afternoon ended there, as he turned in 5.0 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts.

-Finally, the Yanks delivered with runners in scoring position in the top of the seventh, with some help from the Jays. With runners on corners and one out, Giancarlo Stanton hit a chopper to third that ate upClement, and the error allowed the Yanks' third run to score on what should have been an inning-ending double play. Next up, Dominguez chopped a ball to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first, who was poised to throw home, but the ball bounced out of his glove, allowing the tying run, at that time, to score.

-Aaron Judge finished the day 2-for-2 with a double, three walks, and two runs scored. He raised his slash line to .358/.466/.722 for a 1.188 OPS.

-As a team, the Yankees went just 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base. Toronto, on the other hand, went 5-for-7.

Game MVP

Springer, who finished with a pair of home runs and seven RBI.

Highlights

Upcoming schedule

The Yankees and Jays continue their four-game set on Wednesday at 7:07 p.m.

Will Warren is scheduled to face Jose Berrios.

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Vancouver Canucks Sign Defender Jimmy Schuldt To A Two-Year Contract

The Vancouver Canucks’ third free agent signing of the day was Jimmy Schuldt, who the team signed to a two-year, two-way contract. His signing was announced at the same time as new (and old) Canucks Mackenzie MacEachern and Joseph LaBate. 

Schuldt, an undrafted defenceman, played for St. Cloud State University for four seasons and captained the team for three of them. In this span of time, he scored 38 goals and 80 assists in 156 games, including a season that saw him tally 35 points in 36 games. After this, he made his NHL debut with the Vegas Golden Knights, adding an assist in the lone game on April 6, 2019. 

After this, Schuldt spent five seasons in the AHL — one with the Chicago Wolves (2019–20), one with the Henderson Silver Knights (2020–21), one with the Rochester Americans (2021–22), and two with the Coachella Valley Firebirds (2022–24). In the 2022–23 season, he scored eight goals and 24 assists in 71 of the Firebirds’ games. In the team’s Calder Cup campaign that saw them lose to the Hershey Bears in the Finals, Schuldt posted five goals and four assists in 26 games. 

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Schuldt returned to the NHL in the 2024–25 season, signing a one-year contract with the San Jose Sharks last season. He played in eight games for the Sharks and spent the rest of the season with the team’s AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. In 64 AHL games, Schuldt put up six goals and 15 assists. 

Mar 11, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks defenseman Jimmy Schuldt (59) passes the puck during the first period against the Nashville Predators at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

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Rangers trading defenseman K'Andre Miller to Hurricanes

It's been an active first day of free agency for the Rangers, and now they're making another big move -- dealing defenseman K'Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes in a sign-and-trade.

In exchange for Miller, the Rangers will be receiving conditional first-and second-round draft picks and defenseman Scott Morrow, Larry Brooks of The New York Post first reported, and was confirmed by the team on Tuesday evening.

Miller will be signing an eight-year extension with Carolina that is worth $7.5 million annually.

The 25-year-old Miller spent five seasons with the Blueshirts after being selected with the 22nd overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. In 368 regular season games in a Rangers uniform, Miller had 36 goals and 96 assists to go along with 162 penalty minutes.

With the Rangers coming into the offseason with limited cap space, moving on from a top-four defenseman like Miller was certainly not an easy decision, but it gives the club some needed cap flexibility.

The 6-foot-5 defenseman, who was named to the NHL All-Rookie team in 2020-21, became expendable after the Rangers added the top defenseman on the market, Vladislav Gavrikov, on a seven-year, $49 million deal.

Miller had also been linked to the Detroit Red Wings in recent days.

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Blues Lose Veteran Forward To Division Rival

The St. Louis Blues worked hard to try to re-sign forward Radek Faksa, but he is now heading elsewhere. 

According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, the Dallas Stars have signed Faska to a three-year contract, where he will have a $2 million average annual value.

 

Faksa is certainly a player who the Stars know well, as he was their first-round pick in 2012 and spent his first nine NHL seasons with them. His initial stint with the Stars ended during this past off-season when the Blues acquired him for future considerations. Now, after a year in St. Louis, he is returning to Dallas. 

The Blues will miss Faksa, as he was a solid bottom-six forward for them this past season. In 70 games, he recorded five goals, 15 points, and 115 hits. He was also very successful at the dot, winning 57% of his faceoffs. 

Overall, Faksa going back to Dallas ultimately makes sense. He was a nice part of their roster for several years, and he will be once again after signing this new three-year deal. 

Blues Sign Center Nick Bjugstad To Two-Year, $3.5 Million ContractBlues Sign Center Nick Bjugstad To Two-Year, $3.5 Million ContractMARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- The St. Louis Blues dipped into the center pool on the first day of free agency by inking veteran Nick Bjugstad to a two-year contract for $3.5 million ($1.75 million average annual value).

Photo Credit:  © James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images

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Former Canucks Center Joseph LaBate Signs One-Year Contract With Vancouver

A former Vancouver Canuck has made his way back to the organization in free agency. Center Joseph LaBate signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Canucks on July 1, returning to the organization after seven years away. 

LaBate was drafted by the Canucks in 2011, being picked 101st overall and in the fourth round. He spent four seasons at the University of Wisconsin and was named an assistant captain during his last year with the team (2014–25). LaBate scored 25 goals and 40 assists in 115 games played with Wisconsin before signing his entry-level contract with Vancouver and joining the Utica Comets for two games in 2015. 

The Canucks draft pick made his NHL debut on November 23, 2016 against the Arizona Coyotes and played in 13 of the team’s games in the 2016–17 season. He spent two more seasons with the Comets before joining the Belville Senators of the AHL for three seasons. After, he played in one season with the Milwaukee Admirals and one with the Chicago Wolves, before heading overseas and spending one year with Barys Astana of the KHL. 

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LaBate made his return to the NHL in the 2024–25 season, signing a one-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He played in six of their games and tallied one assist. During the rest of the season, he played with their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, scoring eight goals and 13 assists in 51 games. 

Mar 23, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; Vancouver Canucks center Joseph LaBate (62) exchanges words with St. Louis Blues right wing Ryan Reaves (75) during the second period at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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Jake Paul eligible for title shot after entering WBA’s cruiserweight rankings

  • YouTuber debuts at No 14 in WBA cruiserweight ranks

  • Paul’s ranking reflects star power, not fight record

  • Zurdo Ramírez or Badou Jack could be next opponent

Jake Paul has entered the World Boxing Association’s cruiserweight rankings, making the YouTuber-turned-boxer eligible to fight for a world title.

The WBA slotted Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) at No. 14 in the latest edition of its rankings late Monday night, two days after Paul beat 39-year-old Julio César Chávez Jr by unanimous decision in Anaheim, California.

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Winners, Losers from Bucks shocking waiving of Damian Lillard, signing Myles Turner

Myles Turner had a lot of teams coveting him heading into free agency — athletic stretch fives who can get you a couple of blocks a game protecting the rim are hard to come by. However, none of those teams had the means to sign Turner, and everyone assumed the Pacers would finally pony up and go into the tax to keep Turner alongside Tyrese Haliburton.

Indiana was not willing to pay. Then, in a cold and bold move, the Milwaukee Bucks stepped up and waived-and-stretched the $112.6 million still owed Damian Lillard — out most or all of next season with a torn Achilles — and used that money to sign Turner to a four-year, $104 million contract.

It's one of the wildest, most unexpected moves we've seen in the NBA since… Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to the Clippers (and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Thunder)?

Who are the winners and losers from Tuesday's wild action? Let's break it down.

WINNER: Milwaukee Bucks (short term)

Every time over the years that Giannis Antetokounmpo has subtly tried to pressure the Bucks to upgrade their roster, hinting he might leave, they have responded. That's how the Bucks ended with Damian Lillard. However, nobody thought they could pull that off again this summer, the Bucks had already traded away most of their future draft picks, and the roster was not deep with trade assets (there isn't a big Kyle Kuzma market).

Tuesday, Milwaukee shocked the league by waiving Lillard to create space to sign Turner. Combine that with them bringing back many of their core players, and this is a team that can be a threat in the East. How does Antetokounmpo feel about that?

Here is Milwaukee's rotation:

• Kevin Porter and Gary Trent Jr. are the likely starting guards, with AJ Green behind them. The Bucks could use one more ball-handling, shot-creating guard if they are going to beat the Cavaliers and Knicks in the playoffs (they have a first-round pick and Kuzma to trade), but this is a good start.

• Kyle Kuzma starts at the three with Taurean Prince behind him.

• Giannis Antetokounmpo — Milwaukee needs MVP-level Antetokounmpo. There are good role players around him, but this is a roster he is going to have to carry in the clutch.

• Myles Turner — an absolute upgrade over Brook Lopez at this point in their respective careers — and Bobby Portis at center. Turner is basically a younger Lopez in terms of style of play. Some fans have questioned how much of an upgrade Turner is over Lopez, but recall when the Pacers and Bucks faced off in the first round of the playoffs, and Turner outplayed Lopez — to the point that Doc Rivers had to pivot and start Bobby Portis. This is an upgrade for Milwaukee.

Any team with Antetokounmpo has to be considered a playoff threat in the East, but there may be enough around him now to get back to the Finals, if things break their way. This is a good set of role players, whether they are good enough to get where the Bucks want to go is a fair question, but this is a team in the mix.

LOSER: Milwaukee Bucks (long term)

The largest waived-and-stretched contract in NBA history before Tuesday was $31 million — waving Lillard is more than triple that number. Every year for the next five seasons, the Bucks will have $22.5 million in dead money on the books — an anchor on their plans.

The Milwaukee Bucks do not control their own first-round draft pick until 2031.

Eventually, the wheels are going to fall off this bus in Milwaukee, and when they do — when Antetokounmpo eventually leaves the franchise (via retirement or to another team) — things are going to get ugly. Milwaukee is like someone just racking up loads and loads of credit card debt. That bill is going to come due, and it will take a long time to pay off. But if Antetokounmpo stays and the team gets back to the Finals, was it worth it?

WINNER: Myles Turner

Turner is a bittersweet winner. He spent 10 years in Indiana — it's the only NBA team he ever played for — and was just part of the greatest run in the franchise's NBA history, all the way to Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Turner wanted to get paid comparable to other bigs in his range. Pacers' ownership did not want to go into the luxury tax to do it. That's when Turner's representatives got creative and found a team that did — Turner will average more than $25 million a year over the course of the next four years. That's about the going rate for a center of his caliber. It's a good deal.

And Turner jumps to another team with Finals aspirations next season — he will be competing for something.

WINNER: Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard was unhappy in Milwaukee, especially during his first year, when he was away from his family and not winning as much as he had hoped. Now? He couldn't be happier with this outcome. Check out this paragraph from The Athletic:

League sources say Lillard is elated with this decision, as it puts him in the kind of basketball-first position that few All-Star-level players, if any, have experienced in league history. In short, he'll be able to join the contending team of his choosing, either sometime soon or perhaps next summer, without the financial aspect of the decision playing a significant part.

Expect Lillard to take his time making a decision. The two teams that come up first in conversations with people around the league are Miami and Portland, but many other teams could be in play. He's not going to rush this process.

LOSER: Indiana Pacers fans

I feel for Pacers fans. I wish I could buy them all a beer.

What stings is that Turner wanted to stay, but the Pacers' ownership hesitated to go into the luxury tax. That hesitation opened the door to Turner's suitors — including Milwaukee — who were able to get their foot in the door. And here we are, with Turner gone and Tyrese Haliburton likely out all of next season with a torn Achilles.

The positives? One, Haliburton will be back, and while this season now looks like someone will hit the pause button, in two years this team can (and should) be right back in the mix in the East.

Second — this was a brilliant playoff run. Savor it. There are not enough magical moments like this for fans where — championship or not — everything comes together on the court, the team reflects and inspires the community (and the state of Indiana) around it. It's just pure, fun basketball. These Pacers were a combination of high-level basketball and entertaining in a way we all too rarely see. Don't let how it ended spoil that.

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Giants' Hayden Birdsong baffled by ‘annoying' struggles after latest rough start

Giants' Hayden Birdsong baffled by ‘annoying' struggles after latest rough start originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

PHOENIX — Hayden Birdsong is 23 years old and made just 38 starts in the minor leagues before the Giants called him up last season. They felt strongly that he was one of their best 26 this spring, so when he didn’t make the rotation initially, they kept him in their bullpen. 

The right-hander is inexperienced and learning at the big league level, but sometimes, the fix is not an easy one. 

Birdsong briefly skidded off the rails Tuesday night, and that’s become a theme since he returned to the rotation. He threw 10 straight balls to open the fourth inning, and when he got back in the zone, he gave up a three-run homer. The Diamondbacks pulled away from there, winning 8-2 to get within 1 1/2 games of the Giants in the NL West standings. 

“It’s the same thing every single time,” Birdsong said of his struggles. “I don’t know what it is. It almost feels like a forcefield. I don’t know why, it’s the same mindset, arm feels good — I’ve just got to find something. I don’t know what it is, but we’ll find it.”

Birdsong has allowed 21 earned runs in 37 1/3 innings since returning to the rotation, with 18 walks being the main culprit. After striking out five in the first three innings, he opened the fourth with back-to-back four-pitch walks. Afterward, he had no explanation for why his command occasionally just completely disappears. 

“It needs to flip soon,” Birdsong said. “It’s getting annoying.”

Birdsong’s stuff still is good, and his fastball velocity was back in his normal range six days after he saw a slight dip. He said he feels right mechanically, but he’ll sit down with the staff and look at that to see if there’s something wrong that he’s not seeing.

Manager Bob Melvin said the issue might be something else entirely. He feels Birdsong’s blips are “more mental than anything.”

“He’s got to get through it,” Melvin said. “He’s got to just keep pitching through it. We’ve seen this guy (be) really good, we’ve seen him pitch really well out of the bullpen, come in late in games. Yeah, it’s been a little bit of a tough period for him, for whatever reason.”

The same is true of the whole team, but it’s not hard to pinpoint why the Giants keep losing, or why they went down so easily Tuesday. The lineup scored just two runs and has nine in five games on this trip. Patrick Bailey had two costly passed balls, the result, Melvin said, of trying too hard to frame pitches. 

The loss was the seventh in eight games and came a few hours after a very public vote of confidence from president of baseball operations Buster Posey. The front office picked up Melvin’s 2026 option, a move that was popular in the clubhouse, and Melvin said the energy in the dugout after the two early runs was as good as he has seen all year.

“Then we just, for whatever reason, didn’t play good baseball after that,” he said.

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Penguins Bring In Big Former Bruins Forward

The Pittsburgh Penguins are adding more size and grit to their forward group. 

According to TSN's Darren Dreger, the Penguins have signed forward Justin Brazeau to a two-year, $3 million contract. Starting next season, the 6-foot-6 winger will have a $1.5 million cap hit. 

Brazeau has the potential to be a nice addition to the Penguins' bottom six. When playing at his best, he provides decent secondary offensive production and a good amount of grit. Furthermore, he also works on the power play because of his net front presence ability. 

Brazeau recorded 11 goals, 22 points, and 123 hits in 76 games this season split between the Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild. He also appeared in six playoff games for the Wild, posting two assists and a plus-1 rating. 

Overall, this is a solid depth move for the Penguins. Brazeau should give their bottom six a bit of a boost, and it will be intriguing to see what kind of campaign he has in 2025-26 from here. 

Penguins Trade Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic To San Jose For Third-Round PickPenguins Trade Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic To San Jose For Third-Round PickAfter much anticipation about the Pittsburgh Penguins' goaltending situation heading into the 2025-26 season, the dam has finally broken. 

Photo Credit: © Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

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'Fixing defense' was focus for Trotz, Nashville Predators in free agency

Compared to a year ago, the start of free agency was very quiet for the Nashville Predators. 

During the 2024 offseason, the Predators landed two of the hottest forwards in the market: Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault. 

This year, its focus was "fixing the defense," and that's exactly what the Predators did, adding two defensemen: Nicolas Hague from the Vegas Golden Knights and Nick Perbix from the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

"We've got some great prospects on the way, but I felt two things: we wanted to get bigger and we want to get younger," Predators General Manager Barry Trotz said. "The deal we made with Vegas with that in mind. You're getting a 6-foot-6 defenseman [Hague] who we project is going to be in a top 4 and is going to play high minutes." 

Nashville definitely has height in its defense, averaging 6-foot-2-inches among its rostered defensemen. Perbix bumped that average as he is 6-foot-4-inches. 

This is going to be a heightened role for Hague, as he primarily played in Vegas' bottom pairing. This past season, he had 12 points in 68 games, 40 penalty minutes, and was a minus-2.

He has a hard shot, but Hague is below the league's 50th percentile when it comes to skating and speed bursts. 

Trotz believes that Hague is a good addition to the roster, giving the Predators needed depth on the backend and helping the team achieve it's overall goal of making the defense better. 

"If you can't defend, you can't win," Trotz said. 

One of the most significant talking points of the offseason has been the Predators' lack of depth at center. Nashville drafted one center, Brady Martin, fifth overall, and has not picked up one in free agency yet. 

While the Predators are still "shopping" the market, Trotz said improving center depth is going to rely on stronger play along the wings and more consistency at defense. 

 "On paper, it's not a deep center group. There's different ways to win," Trotz said. 

The Predators also extended a qualifying offer to forward Luke Evangelista, who reached the end of his three-year, entry-level contract. The Predators' 2020 second-round draft pick scored 32 points in 68 games last season. 

In need of more help from the wing and wanting a younger look, Trotz went so far as to call Evangelista "the future." 

"We're just trying to find a term that fits," Trotz said on Evangelista's qualifying offer. "I would like to go longer. The agents are hesitant to go longer on term."

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Vancouver Canucks Sign Forward Mackenzie MacEachern To A Two-Year Contract

After extending a crop of players within the organization, the Vancouver Canucks have signed some free agents to short-term deals. Around 2:00 pm PT today, the team announced that they have signed forward Mackenzie MacEachern to a two-way, two-year contract. MacEachern spent the past two seasons with the St. Louis Blues organization. 

MacEachern, a forward, was drafted 67th overall by the Blues in 2012. He played in three seasons with Michigan State University, scoring 33 goals and 35 assists in 108 games played with the team. From there, he spent two seasons with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, before making his NHL debut for the Blues on January 10, 2019. In his first NHL season, he tallied three goals and two assists in 29 games played, and was part of the St. Louis team that won the Stanley Cup against the Boston Bruins. 

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MacEachern proceeded to spend the next three seasons with St. Louis, playing 51 games in the 2019–20 season and slotting into the lineup for five of their postseason matches. He had eight goals and six assists in 86 games with the Blues before signing with the Carolina Hurricanes in free agency in 2023. While he didn’t play a regular season game for the Hurricanes, he did take part in eight of the team’s playoff games, scoring a goal and an assist. 

Dec 23, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues left wing Mackenzie MacEachern (28) checks Chicago Blackhawks center Cole Guttman (70) during the second period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

In another short stint with the Blues in the 2024-25 season, MacEachern had 12 goals and 20 assists in 40 games with their AHL affiliate, the Springfiled Thunderbirds. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

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Penguins Ink Philip Tomasino To One-Year Contract

The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed right winger Philip Tomasino on Tuesday.

Tomasino, acquired last season from the Nashville Predators for a fourth-round pick, has been a streaky scorer for the Penguins. At 23, the Penguins are hoping that Tomasino can develop into a more consistent forward who projects to fill out a middle-six role with the team.

Penguins general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas noted to the press on Monday that conversations were continuing with both Tomasino and Connor Dewar's respective camps; the signings of both were announced simultaneously Tuesday afternoon.

It is unclear if Tomasino attracted interest from other clubs before signing with the Penguins. He earned a slight raise on his one-year, $825,000 contract, while Dewar took a slight pay cut on his. 

The young forward has shown ample promise, playing alongside center Evgeni Malkin for stretches last year. He amassed 11 goals and 23 assists in 50 games for the Penguins after notching only one assist in 11 games with the Predators.

The Penguins are hoping that he fills a top-nine role and becomes a solid component in their efforts to return to contention.

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Feature image credit:  Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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Penguins Trade Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic To San Jose For Third-Round Pick

After much anticipation about the Pittsburgh Penguins' goaltending situation heading into the 2025-26 season, the dam has finally broken. 

On Tuesday, the Penguins traded goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick. Nedeljkovic is signed through the end of the 2025-26 season with a cap hit of $2.5 million.

Nedeljkovic, 29, spent the last two seasons as one half of the tandem with Tristan Jarry in Pittsburgh. There were mixed results in both campaigns, and last season, Nedeljkovic finished the season 14-15-5 with a 3.12 goals-against average and an .894 save percentage.

 With Nedeljkovic out of the picture for the Penguins, it opens the door for one of Pittsburgh's young goaltending prospects to share the workload with Jarry next season. The obvious candidate is Joel Blomqvist, who had two short NHL stints last season. 

The first stint went well for Blomqvist. The second? Not so much. Overall, the rookie finished 4-9-1 with a 3.81 goals-against average and an .885 save percentage.

Pittsburgh also has goaltending prospects in Sergei Murashov and Filip Larsson, both of whom figure to be in the mix for NHL playing time next season.

After the trade, the Penguins now have 28 picks in the next two drafts, including six in the first three rounds in 2026.

Penguins Re-sign Forward Connor Dewar To One-Year ContractPenguins Re-sign Forward Connor Dewar To One-Year ContractAfter non-qualifying all but one of their pending-restricted free agents (RFAs), it appears that the Pittsburgh Penguins are bringing at least one of them back on a free agent contract.

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Feature image credit: Timothy T. Ludwig - Imagn Images

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Sharks Sign John Klingberg, Philipp Kurashev & Adam Gaudette In Free Agency

The San Jose Sharks have announced that they have signed John Klingberg, Adam Gaudette and Philipp Kurashev to contracts.

Kurashev, 25, signed a one-year $1.2 million deal. He had seven goals and seven assists for 24 points in 51 games last season with the Chicago Blackhawks. He was left unqualified by the Blackhawks and now joins a young Sharks team where he will be given an elevated role within their lineup.

As for Klingberg, he signed a one-year deal $4 million deal. He is a 32-year-old defenseman that can help lead the power play unit and mentor some of the younger players on the back end.

Lastly, Adam Gaudette has signed two-year deal $4 million deal that carries an AAV of $2 million per season. Last season with the Ottawa Senators he scored 19 goals and seven assists for 26 points in 81 games. 

The Sharks are not in the market to add a ton of big names. They want to surround the younger players with depth players that don’t take away from the ice time of the Macklin Celebrinis and Will Smiths.

The Sharks still need to spend upwards of $20 million to reach the cap floor. With the free agent market starting to thin out, there could be a chance that GM Mike Grier looks at the trade market to add players and salary cap.

Sharks Sign William Eklund To Three-Year Contract ExtensionSharks Sign William Eklund To Three-Year Contract ExtensionThe San Jose Sharks have signed William Eklund to a three-year contract worth $16.8 million. The contract carries an average annual value of $5.6 million, which is a great cap hit for a bridge deal for a team on the back half of a rebuild like San Jose. San Jose Sharks Issues 2025 Qualifying Offers San Jose Sharks Issues 2025 Qualifying Offers The San Jose Sharks have announced their 2025 qualifying offers to their pending restricted free agents. In total, they had 11 RFAs. They only offered three players qualifying offers and are letting eight players walk to free agency without any return. From The Archive: ALL HAIL MARLEAUFrom The Archive: ALL HAIL MARLEAUThe Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: 76 years of history, stories, and features. Sharks Not Expected To Offer Long-Term Deals In Free AgencySharks Not Expected To Offer Long-Term Deals In Free AgencyAccording to San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier, they aren't expected to be handing out any long-term contracts this free agency. Meet The New Sharks: 2025 Draft ClassMeet The New Sharks: 2025 Draft ClassThe 2025 NHL Entry Draft has come and gone, and after a weekend where fans questioned the format of the new decentralized draft, the San Jose Sharks came away with quite a few new prospects in their prospect pool. In this article, let’s take a look at all of their new players.
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Toronto Maple Leafs Re-Sign Dakota Mermis, Sign Travis Boyd, Michael Pezzetta, And Benoit-Olivier Groulx

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have signed forwards Travis Boyd, Michael Pezzetta, and Benoit-Olivier Groulx and re-signed defenseman Dakota Mermis. 

Mermis signed a two-year contract that is worth $812,000 annually. The veteran will likely be a key member of the Toronto Marlies blueline next season. 

The 31-year-old played three games for the Maple Leafs and one game for Utah HC last season, he also had seven points in 32 games for the Marlies. After an injury in training camp he was placed on waivers, claimed by Utah, and later re-claimed by Toronto. 

The Alton, Ill., native has 146 points in 463 career AHL games and 13 points in 78 career NHL games. He won the 2022 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award as AHL's Man of the Year for Community Service. 

Boyd signed a one-year, $775,000 contract. He will likely serve in an offensive and leadership role with the Marlies. 

The 31-year-old recorded 22 goals and 53 points in 63 games with the Iowa Wild last season and went pointless in three games with the Minnesota Wild. He has 225 points in 284 career AHL games and was named to the AHL Second All-Star Team in 2017. 

He had eight points in 20 games for the Maple Leafs in the 2020-21 season.

Groulx signed a two-year contract that pays him $812,000 annually. 

The 25-year-old recorded 37 points in 47 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack last season. 

A second round selection of the Anaheim Ducks in 2018, he has five points in 65 career NHL games and 127 points in 192 career AHL games. 

Pezzetta also signed a two-year contract that pays him $812,000 annually. He last appeared in the AHL in 2021. 

The 27-year-old had no points in 25 games with the Montreal Canadiens last season. 

The Toronto, Ont., native has 25 points and 186 penalty minutes in 115 career AHL games and 38 points in 200 NHL games. 

Groulx, Boyd and Pezzetta appear to be replacements on the Marlies for the recently departed Alex Steeves and Nick Abruzzese. 

Check out The Hockey News' Toronto Maple Leafs team site for more updates. 

Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' AHL Page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.     

Photo Credit: © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images